The present invention generally relates to an assembly and procedure for operating multiple computers and associated display screens by way of a single pointing device and keyboard combination.
A common workplace situation features an employment of multiple computers and associated displays in a given work area. One problem with this arrangement is that there may be an accompanying clutter of duplicate keyboards and pointing devices (e.g., track balls, mice, etc.) that may limit an available workspace, as well as slow a transition for a user between the various operating sessions. For example, moving one""s hands and body to allow typing and interaction from one machine to another can take time and can often disadvantageously require physically repositioning a keyboard and pointing device.
Many aspects of this problem are effectively addressed and solved by an assembly disclosed and described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/914,373, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. The solution disclosed in this copending application is based on the recognition that, since the functions of the keyboard and pointing device are nearly identical for all commercially available machines, a reduction of clutter and an increase in ergonomic functions can be obtained by using only one of each for all of the computers to be addressed.
The solution discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/914,373 is an important advancement. This solution, however, does not address the sharing of information between the machines in other than a manual fashion.
An object of this invention is to improve procedures for sharing information between computers at a workstation.
Another object of the present invention is to make connected computers, which are controlled by a single common keyboard and pointing device, appear to be seamlessly connected.
These and other objectives are attained with a work station comprising a plurality of computers, and a method of operating that work station. Each of the computers at the work station includes a keyboard port and a pointing device port; and the work station further comprises a single external user keyboard, a single external pointing device, and a fanout switching unit connected to and for interfacing between the computers and the external keyboard and pointing device.
In use, at any given time, the external keyboard and pointing device control a selected one of the computers, via the fanout switching unit. The fanout switching unit, acting in response to a predefined switching command from at least one of the external keyboard and pointing device, changes, or switches, the computer that is controlled by the external keyboard and pointing device. In particular, the computer that is controlled changes from a first of the computers to a second of the computers. The work station further comprises means, also acting in response to the predefined switching command, to copy data from a predetermined database of the first computer and to write the copied data in a predetermined database of the second computer. In this way, as a user switches from working on one of the computers to working on another of the computers, data that the user is using can be automatically copied from the former, or exit, computer to the latter, or enter, computer, providing a seamless switching between the computers.
This data copying can be implemented either over the keyboard/mouse link or via a local area network. With one embodiment, for example, a mouse driver or equivalent may be used to allow the switching unit to interact with the databases. In this case, the switching unit communicates directly with the two CPU""s and performs the copy function at the switching event. As an alternative, software may be provided on each of the connected computers that allows the computers to perform a best-case analysis as to which path would be best implementedxe2x80x94that is, copy either over the local area network or through the switching unit. As another alternative, OLE data synchronization between applications is used to copy the data to provide a seamless, single computer emulation. This latter arrangement allows duplication on both machines and the ability to scroll applications between computers.
Further benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which specify and show preferred embodiments of the invention.